September 13, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Cup of Coffee: McSweeney sparkles for Portland as Turner goes yard; Ward knocks 3 hits
9/13 Cup of Coffee: It was the final Saturday of the regular season for Portland, as the Sea Dogs close out their season on Sunday, and they made it count, with a pitchers' duel at Hadlock Field. Will Turner (pictured) put his team in front with a solo home run in the first and it was more than enough for Morgan McSweeney, as the local product shoved through seven shutout innings, retiring the last 11 hitters he faced in 2026. It was a bit of a different flavor for Worcester, as the WooSox had a staff day against Lehigh Valley, with plenty more runs scored. Allan Castro and Braiden Ward, who went 3 for 5, both went yard for Worcester, as it attempted to stay in the playoff hunt and extend its season beyond next weekend.-----
Worcester also got a solo home run in the first inning, as Allan Castro left the yard with two outs in the frame, but Lehigh Valley scored one in the bottom half and added three more in the following inning, setting a different tone than Portland's pitchers' duel. Worcester got three back in the top of the fourth, but the IronPigs weren't going to go down quietly, responding with two more in the bottom half. The bulk of the home side's runs went on Michael Sansone's tab, as he allowed six runs across 3 2/3 innings of work. He walked four and allowed five hits, two of which were home runs. He also struck out three. Patrick Halligan finished the fourth and didn't allow a run in the fifth, with just a walk on his ledger. However, John Brebbia surrendered a solo homer in the sixth. Hobie Harris finished the game with 1 1/3 clean frames. Braiden Ward also drilled a big fly as part of his three-hit effort, doing so as part of Worcester's three-run fourth. Tsung-Che Cheng was 2 for 3 with a walk.
Worcester falls to three games out of first place in the International League with seven games to go. The Red Sox need to leap Indianapolis, Syracuse, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre just to pull even with first-place Rochester.
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It was a low-scoring game in Portland, as a solo home run by Will Turner to begin the bottom of the first held up. Morgan McSweeney was sparkling, as the surrendered just four hits and walked one over seven strong innings, facing just three over the minimum. He also struck out five and was highly efficient, throwing 84 pitches. McSweeney retired the last 11 hitters he faced and didn't allow a hit after the third. Steven Brooks handled the eighth and struck out the side, then followed it up with a clean ninth, finishing the contest with a punchout. Both offenses were stymied, as the two squads combined for just nine hits, though Ahbram Liendo had two knocks. Willson Contreras was 0 for 3 with a strikeout as he continued his rehab assignment in Maine.
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Player of the Day: Morgan McSweeney closed out his 2026 in style with unquestionably his best start of an abbreviated season, as he joined Portland in mid-August. Saturday night was the first time he pitched more than five innings and had yet to complete an outing without allowing a run. In Portland's penultimate contest of the season, the Hudson, Massachusetts native struck out five over seven shutout innings and did so with great efficiency, as he faced three over the minimum and threw just 84 pitches, including 57 for strikes, to average 12 deliveries to the plate per frame. While he had thrown just 17 1/3 innings heading into the evening, he lowered his ERA by more than two full runs with the outing.
Photo Credit: Will Turner by Kelly O'Connor